Category: World

Chad is confronting a cascading humanitarian disaster in its eastern regions, where acute food shortages coincide with a rising risk of cholera, UN officials have warned. At a UN briefing in Geneva on 13 June, François Batalingaya, the UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Chad, urged the global community to act decisively as millions face worsening hunger and potential disease outbreak.The country is enduring its sixth successive year of food insecurity, with 3.3 million people anticipated to be unable to feed themselves

Abidjan is bracing for a highly polarised presidential election scheduled for 25 October 2025, as President Alassane Ouattara’s ruling party moves to endorse his expected bid for a fourth term. Meanwhile, key opposition figures have been barred from the ballot, prompting protests and allegations of democratic erosion.Official party channels have circulated motions affirming Ouattara, 83, as their preferred candidate under the Rally of Houphouëtists for Democracy and Peace. He has indicated his health and determination to continue serving, yet the

Thousands of visitors were left outside the Louvre under its iconic glass pyramid on 16 June 2025 after staff launched a spontaneous strike over overcrowding, chronic understaffing and deteriorating infrastructure at the world’s most‑visited museum. The closure, initiated during a routine internal meeting, involved gallery attendants, ticket office personnel and security staff who refused to work, describing current conditions as “untenable”. The unexpected walkout ignited fresh scrutiny of the impact of mass tourism on both the Louvre’s functioning and staff

President Donald Trump has called for the immediate evacuation of Tehran, warning that Iran “cannot have a nuclear weapon” after a series of escalating military exchanges with Israel. He issued the statement via Truth Social while attending the G7 summit in Canada, then departed early to convene his national security team. The growing hostilities, now entering a fifth day, have provoked market turbulence, prompted military deployments, and triggered widespread concern among global leaders.Israel has intensified airstrikes across Iran, targeting high-value

The Trump Organisation has unveiled Trump Mobile, featuring a $499 gold-hued T1 smartphone and a monthly “47 Plan” priced at $47.45. Designed to target conservative consumers disenchanted with mainstream providers, the offering promises an American‑branded telecommunications package with US‑based customer support and domestically produced handsets.Donald Trump Jr and Eric Trump introduced the venture on 16 June 2025 at Trump Tower, emphasising the use of US‑made phones and support centres located in St Louis and elsewhere in the United States. The 47

Dodoma’s state leadership confirmed significant advancements in the Third National Five-Year Development Plan, registering strides in infrastructure, agriculture, energy, justice reform and foreign investment initiatives. In a parliamentary session, Planning and Investment Minister Professor Kitila Mkumbo detailed over 193 development schemes—among them 17 flagship mega-projects—now underway.Irrigation farming has expanded, with irrigated areas growing from approximately 695,000 ha in 2019/20 to 727,280 ha by 2022/23, driven by intensified use of quality seedlings and fertilisers. Concurrently, the National Irrigation Commission reported plans for over

An assault on Yelewata village in Guma local government area of Benue State has left more than 100 inhabitants dead, dozens missing and hundreds wounded, with authorities scrambling to respond. The attack, which began late on Friday and extended into Saturday’s early hours, bore the hallmarks of deliberate and coordinated violence.Eyewitnesses and first responders described scenes of horror: armed assailants forcibly confined residents inside their homes before setting them ablaze. Burned remains were found throughout the community, with many victims

Iran launched a coordinated attack using ballistic missiles and combat drones against Israel, marking a significant intensification of hostilities and signalling a tactical shift in its military posture.A new guided ballistic missile—named ‘Haj Qassem’ after the late Major‑General Qasem Soleimani—was deployed alongside swarms of drones, striking central Israel including Tel Aviv and Haifa. Iranian state media described the operation as a hybrid assault, showcasing advanced navigation capabilities designed to penetrate Israel’s missile-defence systems. Israel reports at least 14 fatalities and dozens

Global economic momentum is set to falter, with the World Bank projecting growth of just 2.3 per cent in 2025—its weakest pace since 2008 outside explicit recessions. Elevated trade barriers, particularly rising US tariffs, and widespread policy uncertainty are identified as principal drags, causing forecast downgrades in roughly 70 per cent of the world’s economies.The Bank’s June Global Economic Prospects report indicates global trade growth will slow to 1.8 per cent in 2025—nearly half the rate seen in 2024, and a fraction of the long‑term average

Iran’s multifaceted network of proxies and covert operatives is poised to broaden its campaign of retaliation against Israel by extending its operations into Europe. Having weakened regional assets such as Hezbollah, the Houthis and Hamas, Tehran is reportedly turning to clandestine cells and criminal syndicates across the continent as a new front in its “ring of fire”.Heightened security advisories for Jewish communities from London to Berlin underscore rising concerns as European intelligence agencies monitor suspected Iran-linked plots. Authorities in the

A leading news magazine has issued an unreserved apology after provoking ire with an airplane cartoon linked to the tragic Air India crash on 12 June in Ahmedabad, when flight AI171 went down shortly after take‑off carrying over 240 passengers. The sketch, which many saw as insensitive and lacking compassion, appeared in the aftermath of the catastrophe—and has since drawn widespread condemnation.The cartoon, featuring a minimalist aeroplane sketched over a wavy line of smoke, was published beneath a satirical caption, widely

Swiss pharmaceutical firm Roche has advanced its antibiotic candidate, zosurabalpin, into Phase 3 clinical trials, representing a potential landmark in the fight against Gram-negative bacterial infections. Targeting carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii, the drug could mark the first approval of a novel antibiotic class in more than 50 years.Zosurabalpin, a tethered macrocyclic peptide developed in collaboration with Harvard University, disrupts the outer lipopolysaccharide membrane essential for bacterial survival. Early-stage studies demonstrated favourable safety and pharmacokinetic profiles, while animal models of lung and

Africa’s ageing oilfields are undergoing a transformation as artificial intelligence technologies unlock new opportunities for enhanced oil recovery. Operators across the continent are leveraging data-driven systems, machine‑learning and regional policy incentives to revive mature reservoirs, boost output and improve efficiency.Major energy firms have spearheaded this push. SLB opened a 3,200 sq ft Africa Performance Centre in Luanda, Angola on 28 January 2025, designed to offer a collaborative platform for digital tools, AI, new‑energy technology and capacity development for local talent. The centre marks

Pentagon officials have trimmed the U.S. Air Force’s F-35A fighter jet order dramatically, requesting just 24 aircraft in fiscal year 2026—cutting it by half from the previously projected 48 jets. The revised procurement proposal, submitted to Congress, seeks approximately $3.5 billion for the jets and an additional $531 million set aside for advance materials procurement.This downsizing is part of a broader strategy by the Department of Defence to shift funding toward emerging defence priorities and cost-saving measures. The Navy and Marine Corps

Applications from African professionals to American MBA programmes are climbing sharply, driven by robust scholarship support, evolving diversity strategies, and a post-pandemic appetite for international career mobility.African candidates are finding new momentum in American business schools thanks to generous funding sources such as the TY Danjuma MBA Scholarship, established in 2011. The fund supports admissions at top‑ranked global institutions, awarding 64 students from nations including Nigeria, Ghana and South Africa as of June 2025. Beyond philanthropy, several US business schools

A landmark study from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem challenges long-held beliefs about acetaminophen’s mode of action, showing that its metabolite, AM404, halts pain signals in peripheral nerves by inhibiting specific sodium channels. This discovery, published in PNAS on 10 June 2025, marks a pivotal shift in pain management science.Historically, acetaminophen was thought to work primarily in the brain and spinal cord. The new research uncovers a peripheral mechanism: AM404 is generated in pain-sensing nerve endings and blocks voltage-gated

High‑velocity charged particles unleashed by the Sun have sparked a full‑scale geomagnetic alert, prompting global advisories for potential disruptions to satellites, power grids, and communications. The alert stems from a coronal mass ejection on 31 May, which pushed through space at nearly 1,950 km/s and reached Earth’s magnetic field on 1 June.National space weather agencies called for a G4-level “severe” condition after initial impacts registered a geomagnetic K-index of 8–9 on the evening of 1 June. G4 alerts are rare and

Ethiopia’s finance minister has announced that the economy is projected to expand by 8.9 % in the fiscal year beginning 8 July 2025, alongside a modest increase in the budget deficit amid structural reforms.Finance Minister Ahmed Shide addressed parliament on Tuesday, outlining the forecast for the next fiscal year, citing an acceleration in real GDP growth from an estimated 8.4 % this year to 8.9 % next year. The state budget deficit is expected to rise slightly to 2.2 % of GDP, compared to 2.1 %

Dog owners across Nigeria are trimming meals and turning to homemade alternatives as soaring inflation and currency devaluation drive imported pet‑food costs up to levels equivalent to the national minimum wage. A crisis in livestock staples has now reached the country’s urban pet economy.Inflation in Nigeria has surged since May 2023, when the government removed a long-standing fuel subsidy and devalued the naira. General inflation hit nearly 35% last December—the highest in 30 years—with a softer but still elevated annual rate

A decisive £14.2 billion funding package has been confirmed to propel the construction of the Sizewell C nuclear power station and to seed the development of the country’s first small modular reactor fleet. The government asserts this marks a pivotal moment in reshaping the national energy landscape, targeting energy security, net‑zero goals, and economic growth through job creation and industrial benefits.Energy secretary Ed Miliband described the commitment as heralding a “golden age of nuclear”, driven by the need to break free from

Top-level officials from Washington and Beijing convened at London’s historic Lancaster House to try to uphold a fragile trade truce. The US team—led by Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and Trade Representative Jamieson Greer—pressed China to lift export restrictions on rare earth minerals, a linchpin in sectors from electric vehicles to semiconductors. China’s delegation, headed by Vice‑Premier He Lifeng and joined by Commerce Minister Wang Wentao and vice‑minister Li Chenggang, emphasised sustaining the state‑driven economic model while seeking concessions on US

African Union’s African Peer Review Mechanism has challenged Fitch Ratings’ downgrade of the African Export‑Import Bank, arguing the move rests on a misinterpretation of its sovereign loan portfolio. On 4 June, Fitch lowered Afreximbank’s long‑term foreign‑currency issuer rating from BBB to BBB‑—a notch above junk—with a negative outlook. The agency attributed the downgrade to elevated credit risk, citing an estimated non‑performing loan ratio of 7.1 %, primarily due to sovereign exposures to Ghana, South Sudan and Zambia classified as